South Africa 2026: A coalition calling itself “Concerned Citizens and Voters of SA” organizes a nationwide shutdown on May 4, calling for the expulsion of all immigrants—both documented and undocumented—from the country. This is not an uncommon trend, with movements like Operation Dudula, March and March, and ActionSA creating the narrative that undocumented immigrants cause unemployment, crime, and drug trafficking and strain the country’s public services. However, what is unprecedented about this event is the organization behind it, with thousands participating in the March and March rally that took place recently in Durban, including representatives from several political parties, initially billed as a “community clean-up” and reported afterwards as a targeted attack on foreign-owned businesses and delivery of foreign nationals to the police. The organizers of the May 4th strike refer to it as a precautionary measure to “avoid civil war,” which reveals some of the possible future directions for this movement.

Undoubtedly, the most disruptive feature of this situation in its negative sense is the ability of this movement to misdirect the spotlight away from the perpetrators of the country’s current crisis. Thirty years since the abolition of apartheid, South Africa struggles with high levels of unemployment, declining public services, and a national unity government incapable of competent governance. The individuals and institutions behind these developments still wield power in the country today. In describing the situation as “state-sponsored hate,” lawyer Simba Chitando points out that it is used to divert attention away from “economic decline and the general breakdown of the rule of law.” The undocumented migrants are neither the culprits behind nor the beneficiaries of South Africa’s inequality; instead, they make ideal targets, along with their persecutors, who understand the true nature of the problem.